Abiding in the True Vine

John 15:1-17

This past week, we talked about abiding in the true vine, Jesus Christ. We have a lot of options in this world for us to plug in and allow to fill and lead our lives. The reality about our faith is this: what you feed grows. What are you feeding most in your life? Your relationship with Jesus, or your relationship with something (or someone) else.

We started with the story of Judson Taylor, a missionary to China who was overwhelmed with the work of the ministry. He was striving on his own, carrying his own faith through hard work and effort. But Christ has called us to instead rest in Him, the true vine. The China Inland Mission was founded through Judson after this realization. The impact was so profound, that many Christians in China can trace their roots back to this movement.

God the Father is the gardener, and we can trust in His work in our lives. He tends to us and has the best plan for our lives. We can in turn trust in Him and his work. Verse 5 challenges us, that apart from Christ, we can do nothing! Abiding in the true vine is where true spiritual life and vitality begin. We are not accepted by our fruit, but we bear fruit because we are already accepted in Christ.

As a result of this abiding work, there is obedience and joy in the life of the believer. Christ set the best example for this when he himself became obedient to death on the cross. He did this joyfully because He had the Father’s will in mind. Jesus obeyed perfectly on our behalf, and now by His Spirit, we are empowered to joyfully obey; not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it.

Abiding in the true vine lastly will lead to a community of love. We love, as He first loved us (verse 12). There is no greater model of love than what Christ did. As we abide in the true vine, we live as the true vine had lived: with unconditional and sacrificial love. True, gospel centered community, will be sacrificial and outward-focused. The spotlight quickly disappears from us and shifts to Christ and to others.

Abiding in the true vine isn’t a white-knuckled effort, it rests on the true source: Jesus Christ. A marathon runner trained for months for the Boston Marathon. His plan was to smash his record and shave off plenty of time. Like all marathon races, there were water stations every few miles. These aren’t a luxury, they are a necessity for the athletes. This man’s plan was to skip the water stations so that he could accomplish his record.

The result of the audacious runner was him collapsing on mile 20, dehydrated, disoriented, and with his body shutting down. Trying to live a Christian life without abiding in Christ is like trying to run a marathon without water. You might go for a while on adrenaline, on gifting, on good intentions — but eventually, you’ll dry up.

We don’t bear fruit by effort alone. We bear fruit by staying connected to the source: Jesus, the Vine.